Health Watch: Regular exams key part of eye health

Thursday

May 27, 2010 at 12:01 AMMay 27, 2010 at 11:13 PM

How to protect your vision, tips for using sunscreen and insect repellent, research about battery ingestion, and more.

Vision health is an important public health concern because vision loss is associated with falls, depression, social isolation and overall poorer health. Quality of life may be comprised because people with vision loss may have difficulties with activities such as reading, meal preparation, and driving a car.

Women, minority groups and people with chronic diseases like diabetes may be at higher risk for having vision impairment. The number of Americans 40 years and older with diabetic retinopathy and vision threatening retinopathy will triple in 2050; from 5.5 million to 16 million and from 1.2 million to 3.4 million respectively.

While some eye conditions like cataract, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, can cause vision loss and even blindness, others, such as refractive errors, are common problems that can be easily corrected with glasses or contact lenses.

Regular eye exams are important for good eye health as well as overall health. A comprehensive dilated eye exam is a painless procedure in which an eye care professional examines the eyes to look for common vision problems and eye diseases, many of which have no early warning signs.

Here are some tips to help you protect your vision:

- Get a comprehensive dilated eye exam.

- Know your family’s eye health history.

- Eat right to protect your sight, particularly dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, or collard greens and fish high in omega-3 fatty acids.

- Maintain a healthy weight.

- Wear protective eyewear when playing sports or doing activities around the home.

- Quit smoking or never start.

- Wear sunglasses that block out 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation.

Breast and prostate cancer patients who regularly exercise during and after cancer treatment report having a better quality of life and being less fatigued, according to researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

Researchers developed an individualized exercise program to implement with patients who are receiving cancer treatment.

In addition to fitness activities, the program incorporates diet recommendations and acupuncture treatments.

Participants have so far reported that they didn't experience some of the more common side-effects from cancer treatment – nausea, fatigue and trouble with memory.

-- Henry Ford Hospital

Did You Know?

A new study found that shark cartilage extract showed no benefit as a therapeutic agent for patients with lung cancer. -- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Health Tip: Safe sunscreen, insect repellent use

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend avoiding all-in-one products that contain sunscreens and insect repellents.

DEET-containing insect repellents may decrease the effectiveness of sunscreens and may increase absorption of DEET through the skin. Plus, in most situations, insect repellent does not need to be reapplied as frequently as sunscreen.

And it’s generally recommended that sunscreens be applied to the skin before insect repellents.

Number to Know: $1.2 million

A survey by the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation polled people with the disease in 125 countries and found that the total average lifetime costs of multiple sclerosis to the patient and society as a whole is $1.2 million.

Children’s Health: Battery ingestion injury increasing

In the past few years there has been a significant increase in pediatric button battery ingestions resulting in serious complications.

From 1985 to 2009, there was a 6.7-fold increase in the percentage of ingestions with severe outcomes, including 13 deaths.

Study authors suggest that all consumer electronics powered by 20-mm lithium cells should require a secure battery compartment accessible with a tool (screwdriver) or child-resistant lock to prevent further pediatric ingestions. Parents must be vigilant, too, to prevent these ingestions.

-- American Academy of Pediatrics

Senior Health: Take medication as directed

Older adults increase their chances of falling by not taking their medications as directed, according to an article in the latest edition of the Journals of Gerontology.

The study of Boston-area residents older than 70 found that those who sometimes neglected their medications experienced a 50 percent increased rate of falls compared with those who did not.

“Falls can now be added to the growing list of poor health outcomes associated with non-adherence to medication,” said lead author Dr. Sarah D. Berry, a research scientist with the Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston.

-- The Gerontological Society of America

GateHouse News Service

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